Jason Cragg (Earth-616)
, , | Relatives = | Universe = Earth-616 | BaseOfOperations = Formerly New York City, New York; the Smith Building, Washington, D.C.; Hungary | Gender = Male | Height = 5'10" | Weight = 200 lbs. | Eyes = Brown | Hair = Brown | UnusualFeatures = | Citizenship = American | MaritalStatus = Single | Occupation = Professional Criminal; formerly, radio announcer, orator, agent of Hungarian government, agent of Red Skull | Education = High school graduate | Origin = The Voice gained his powers by exposure to ionized atoms from an atomic laboratory; he was possibly a latent mutant, whose X-gene was triggered by these atoms. | PlaceOfBirth = Gary, Indiana | Creators = Stan Lee; Larry Lieber; Don Heck | First = Tales to Astonish #42 | HistoryText = Early Life Jason Cragg was an average radio announcer in the Midwest when ionized atoms from a nearby atomic lab traveled through his microphone. The exposure to these ionized atoms mutated Cragg's vocal cords. With his new voice, anyone who heard him followed and believed his every word. The radio station's business tripled. Realizing his newly altered voice was the key, Cragg quit the station to set out for personal profit. Ant-Man Cragg set himself up as a professional orator and traveled to New York. There he witnessed Ant-Man in action. Cragg decided to try and use his powers against the diminutive hero. Cragg told New Yorkers that Ant-Man was a villain, and needed to be run out of town. Eventually, Cragg was able to influence Pym, who had been protected by his helmet, to enlarge himself and walk off the pier without attempting to swim. Unfortunately for Cragg, Pym's faithful ants rescued him. When Cragg realized he had not defeated Ant-Man, he planned to get on television and convince the whole country to attack Ant-Man. Before he could complete his plan, Ant-Man tricked him and gave him laryngitis, making him hoarse and unable to influence his listeners. Hungarian Agent Cragg became a bum, until Madame X approached him and said that the Hungarian government could help him if he was willing to work for it. He agreed, and the Hungarians restored his powers to him, and outfitted him with some shoulder-mounted speakers to amplify the range of his voice. Alongside a number of Ant-Man's old foes, The Voice took control of the West Coast Avengers and ordered them to attack Pym. Pym was able to elude his teammates and came across Maria Trovaya, Pym's first wife, who was previously believed dead. Thanks to her mutated brain, Trovaya was able to break the Voice's control over the West Coast Avengers. The Voice wanted revenge against the Avengers, and left Hungary for California. There he took control of Mantis, who was seeking the Avengers' aid in restoring her memories. He sent Mantis to attack the West Coast Avengers, but Hawkeye figured out that she was being manipulated and tracked down Cragg and defeated him, with the help of Scarlet Witch. Acts of Vengeance Cragg was imprisoned in the Vault, but was freed during the Acts of Vengeance. He was then recruited by the Red Skull. Working for the Red Skull, the Voice and Crossbones forced the Controller to work for the Red Skull. However, en route back to the Smith Building, Captain America attacked the plane. The attack caused a compromise in the cabin, making such a whine that Captain America could not hear Cragg's voice, but Captain America was sucked from the plane anyway. Skeleton Crew Magneto ended up kidnapping the Red Skull, and so, led by Crossbones, the Skeleton Crew sought out their leader at the Hellfire Club. There, the Voice proved effective against the Hellfire troops. But when they were attacked by Selene, the Hellfire's Black Queen in the sewers that lead to the club, the Skeleton Crew found themselves outmatched. Selene used her power over inanimate objects to encase the Skeleton Crew's legs in the stone of the sewer floor. In turn, the Voice immobilized Selene, but she could still use her mental abilities. She began to choke Cragg with hands made of his shoulder speakers, and said she'd kill him if he did not release her. Cragg released her, but she double crossed them and began to drain his life force anyway. The Skeleton Crew, alongside Captain America and Diamondback, defeated Selene, the the Skeleton Crew took the injured Voice back the the Smith Building. Lackey App Voice later resurfaced when he was hired by Darla Deering's boyfriend Paul Scheer using Cross Technological Enterprises' Lackey App (a knock-off of Power Broker's Hench App) to interrupt a basketball charity match. He was defeated by Ant-Man who identified Paul Scheer as his employer who upon his arrest stated that the Hench App was game and then stated that it was part of a promotional offer. | Powers = Cragg was able to use his voice to make anyone who heard him believe anything he said. He was even able to make someone freeze on the spot just by ordering them to. His vocal abilities can also be transmitted over radio and presumably television. | Abilities = | Strength = The Voice possessed the normal human strength of a man of his age, height, and build who engaged in little regular exercise. | Weaknesses = The Voice's power was useless in the presence of extremely loud noises, ear plugs, or anything else that prevents his voice from being heard. He cannot project his thoughts as his voice and his words must be heard for his powers to take effect. | Equipment = Speakers mounted on the Voice's shoulders were used to make his voice louder and to cover a greater area. | Transportation = | Weapons = | Notes = | Trivia = | Links = * The Voice at the Marvel Appendix }} Category:Acoustikinesis Category:Marvel Pre-X-Men Mutants Category:Ionic Characters